My Real Passion

And yes, I hate that word. However, I find it interesting that my real, ugh, passion has barely found its way out and latched on to the pages of my blog. Because, yes, as traveling and London are slowly becoming two things, I truly do enjoy, I mean what's not to love?, there is also that dreaded task of packing & unpacking & sitting on suitcases to shut them & planes & trains & cars and well, I get tired & cranky. However, I do think that after 3 years of traveling back and forth to Madison, the last 2 months (which by the way I can't believe have already passed) and the next 2.5 months, I think I can fairly claim that I am quite the seasoned traveler. Wow, that was quite a tangent.

Anyway, my real passion: food, cooking and restaurants. Let me draw this out for you: There are few places I love more than the grocery store, kitchen, restaurant and table. In fact, I'm not sure there are any places, aside from my comfortable bed, but "Barb's" kitchen table chairs are prettty damn comfortable, I love more. (And yes, Barb-those quotations were intentional as the chairs & table are in fact borrowed and rightfully mine.) My college bookshelf is filled with textbooks and binders and double the amount of cookbooks. I've already bought one cookbook in London and will probably buy more before I leave. (British Cuisine? Hybrid Cuisine? Italian Cuisine in Rome?) I someday hope to work in the food industry itself. However, I've recently decided I'd settle being a Food Stylist, (Eric: you've still yet to respond to my email on CIA, if I dont get a job in a short year from now), Television Restaurant Chef, although I'm not sure I could handle the camera, or own my own restaurant, Dave can run the bar. Anyway, by the way I talk about food, you'd think I weighed around 500 lbs rather than my mere 115, on a good day, a very good day.

So why am I telling you this? How is this relevant to England, the city known to house the world's worst food?
Because my life living in that city has actually come to be a lot more about food than I would have excpected.
Because in 2.5 months, when my life is no longer made interesting by my sheer location in a foreign country, I'm contemplating turning Carlyonqueue into a cooking blog, although I'd have to improve its photography, or add it in general (which by the way, I do know how to do!!)--Thoughts???
Because I currently work at a Food & Beverage Marketing & PR Company
Because my dissertation, which is due in t - 2 months is going to be disproving what I just said, that I have found England to have some, while not-earth shattering or cuisine defining, excellent food. Keyword: Hybrid Food
Because while I have already spent a weekend in Paris, the "birth place" of the Julia Child that could cook. Note: I know Julia is from California, I did write a thesis paper on her, but that Julia could not cook...Paris' Julia could & as I learned last year, she helped define American cuisine, and for that I am forever grateful
Because, lastly, in 2 days, Becca and I will be taking a cooking class in Rome, Italy and I am beyond excited. And that's just something you'll have to look forward to hearing about...


Updates since Dublin:
High Tea, something I'm planning to bring back to the states with me. Maybe this will be the restaurant I'll start: the tea sandwiches: egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, cucumber & cream cheese, salmon and more!, the tarts, the cupcakes, the SCONES, the tea. What's not to love, although I shyed away from the clotted cream. My stomach thanked me.
Harrods & Burberry
China Town
Portobello Road...again. And yes, we got crepes & scarves again, too...
Wagamama, just as good here as it is at home
Buckingham Palace
A hefty, an understatement, trip planning session: trips to Barcelona, Athens & Santorini coming soon!
Wasabi, a place other than Sushi Inaka that has BimBop
London Transport Museum